Here's how I Made a Mini Indoor Swamp Ecosystem!

In this video I'm going to create a shallow swamp ecosystem for some tiny fish and shrimp. I'll take you through every step of the build and even show you how it looks after two months of growth. Now let's waste no time and get straight into it. I'm going to use this glass tank that I built myself from an old aquarium. It measures 30 by 20 by 16 and should work great for what I've got in mind. To start things off I'm going to add a base layer of nutrients. There are plenty of different ways to do this but one of the most easy and cost-effective methods is to use some garden compost. I've poured in a thin layer throughout the base of the aquarium. As this stuff is so nutrient dense you really don't need much whatsoever. Before capping off I'm making sure that the compost layer is fully saturated with water. If I leave it dry it can trap air or even mix with the sand once I cap it off. To cover up the compost I'm adding a generous layer of sand. Alternatively you can use some fine gravel which would have the same effect. If the compost isn't capped excess nutrients can seep into the water and quickly lead to algae issues. With that done it's time to get to work on the hardscape. As I mentioned at the start I want this to be a swamp ecosystem so it's going to be very reliant on the hardscape to achieve this. I've got this really cool piece of wood that sits perfectly on the top of the tank. My plan is for it to look like a half sunken tree stump with roots going down into the water and plants growing from under and above. I'm going to use these black lava rocks to build a structure under the wood so it doesn't look like it's floating in place. Using rock as a base not only improves the look of the scape but it also adds structure and stability. This is especially useful as I'm using wood which is bound to float so these will give us something to anchor it to. Here I've got a variety of different bits of wood and small branches. My goal with these is to place them under the main bit of wood to create a root-like structure. That's the hardscape pretty much done and honestly I'm really pleased with how it's looking. At the moment the majority of the wood is just balancing in place so I need to secure it down so it doesn't float up once the tank is filled. This is easy enough to do by wedging some tissue in the contact points and then soaking it with some super glue. It dries fast and it's completely fish and shrimp safe. Next I'm going to bring a bit more detail to the foreground by sprinkling in some pea gravel. Although most of the foreground will be covered later I still think it's worthwhile to add some. A few more bits of lava rock also bring a natural touch. I'm absolutely loving how this hardscape came together and I know that it's only going to look better with the addition of plants. As for plants I'm starting with the background. I want to use species that can grow both under and above the surface just as you would see in a natural swamp. The first plant to go in is some hygrophila. This is a fast growing hardy plant that's got no problem growing under and out of the water. This next plant is also a perfect choice for this type of setup. I'm hoping that these will grow nice and tall and really help bring that swampy look that I'm going for. It's really important not to let these plants dry out so an occasional misting is essential. Here I've got a pretty good selection of Anubias and Bucephalandra. These apathetic plants really are perfect for this type of setup. They're slow growing species that thrive in low light conditions. To plant them I can wedge them in gaps or use a small amount of super glue to hold them in place. With time they'll anchor themselves to the hardscape. These plants don't rely on the substrate for nutrients and instead they pull what they need directly from the water column. To make things even easier I've glued some Bucephalandra to rocks that I can then simply place throughout the scape. It is important not to plant them in the substrate as they're prone to rotting once planted. I'm going to take a quick break from planting underwater and focus a bit more up above. The driftwood has these two deep holes and they've given me an idea. I'm going to use them like mini plant pots to add plants which will add some really nice height to the scape. As a substrate I'm simply going to use some sphagnum moss. I'm pretty sure they're deep enough to the point where the base of the hole is just about going to be underwater. Hopefully this means the sphagnum moss will wick up water and stay nice and damp and mean that I don't have to water them myself. As for the plants that will go inside I've got a couple of these asparagus ferns. I've removed as much of the soil as I can and now I'm simply planting them inside the sphagnum moss. I really like the detail and height that these I've still got a few more plants to add but first I want to get the tank filled up with water. The paper towel helps disperse the water and stops it from disrupting the sand or the plants too much. In addition to that I'm making sure to fill it up nice and slowly. This is some hydrocotyl and I'm going to plant it right at the water's edge. This should spread and grow both under and above the water. These crips will help create a nice transition from the foreground to the background. Whenever I picture a swamp ecosystem I almost always think of leaves and other debris scattered along the floor of the swamp. I want to create this look inside this build so I'm going to head out in my garden and collect some fallen leaves and some other bits as well. I filled the tub up with water and put it in the microwave for a couple minutes. This will not only sterilize them but it will stop them from floating to the surface. They still however need to sit for about a day to get fully waterlogged. Now that the leaves sink I can scatter them throughout the foreground. These small sticks and twigs really help add a great level of detail. I'm trying to place them to make them look as if they're coming up from the main hardscape. To bring even more detail and interest I'm placing in a few of these acorn caps. A swamp ecosystem truly isn't complete without some moss so that's what I'm adding next. I'm starting off with some java moss which can grow both under and above the water so long as it stays damp. The next species I'm planting is fern moss. This is a terrestrial moss that looks really natural and it's super easy to grow. I don't know about you but I think the addition of this moss was the final touch that this scape needed. I will probably have to give it a spray every couple of days to keep it nice and damp. Now before I add any creatures I'm going to leave this ecosystem to grow in and establish. Two months have passed and I'm glad to say that this swamp ecosystem is thriving. Before introducing the fish I'm going to take a quick look at the plants to show you how well they're doing. As you can see the hydrocotta has started to spread above and below the water just as I hoped it would. As for the plants growing up and above the water they really are doing great. Sometimes aquatic plants struggle with the lack of humidity but these ones have had no problems whatsoever. The hygrophila has even grown these stunning little flowers. As for the asparagus fern it's grown a lot but it has been a bit restricted. The rack I keep this tank on is not quite tall enough and the leaves are pushed up at the top of the shelf which doesn't allow it to get any height. Despite that it's still doing really well and it's got lots of new growth. Looking into the water you can see that it's got a dark tint to it. This is from the tannins leaching from the wood and leaves. Frequent water changes will keep it crystal clear but I really like this look and I think it makes it seem much more natural. About a month ago I added a small group of cherry shrimp. They've been thriving and have even had some tiny babies. The shrimp breeding is another great sign that the ecosystem is super healthy. There's tons of natural food in here such as the decaying leaf litter so I don't need to feed them whatsoever. That might change with time so I will keep an eye on them. Now I think it's about time to introduce the fish that will call this ecosystem home. I've added a small group of these stunning neon tetras. I think their bright coloration really helps them pop out in the dark water of the aquarium. They were really shy at first but after a few days they've grown some confidence. They seem to enjoy swimming circles around the hardscape. I really hope you enjoyed this video and I'd love to hear what you think of this build in the comments below. As always thank you for watching.